2013 Chevrolet Spark Officially Rated At 32 MPG City, 38 Highway

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Official testing results for the 2013 Spark are in from the EPA, and the Chevy Spark comes just short of the 40 MPG highway mark, with numbers coming in at 32 in the city, 38 on the highway and 34 combined miles per gallon. Now, 38 mpg highway from a car cradling a dinky 83-horse 1.2L engine may be a tad underwhelming, especially considering that the larger Sonic and Cruze either meet or exceed 40 mpg highway, according to EPA testing. And while the Spark’s size prevents it from being as aerodynamic as the more streamlined Cruze and Sonic, we’d expect the little car to crest the coveted 40 mpg mark with a six-speed manual gearbox, rather than the five-speed it will launch with, which is to say nothing of the four-speed automatic.

But seeing that the Spark is meant for the slow and congested city streets, it makes more sense to nod at its rating for the city. And while its highway number falls short compared to larger, more powerful models like the Sonic and Cruze, the city rating of the Spark outdoes the Sonic by 3 mpg (rated at best 29 city) and the Cruze Eco by 4 mpg (28 city), as well as combined fuel economy by 1 mpg.

Chevy Volt aside, the 2013 Spark will have the best city fuel economy in the entire GM fleet when it launches later this summer. However, it’s not as good as the Smart ForTwo’s city rating of 34 mpg, or the Scion iQ’s 36 mpg city… but it does offer a second row of seats, and more intuitive technology features standard.

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6 Comments

Could the lower Hwy MPG be a function of the low power output?
I would think that aerodynamics plays a larger role as the power output drops. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the automatic does a bit of gear searching or torque converter kicking out of lock-up – especially on changing grades. If that’s true, then a manual and a light foot should improve that figure.